Loretto is one win away from the Class-A championship at MTSU’s Reese Smith Field after scoring double-digits for the second day in a row defeating South Pittsburg 10-2. The Mustangs led 4-2 heading into the 5th. And for the second straight night they put up a big crooked number scoring 6 runs on 8 hits in the inning to break out 10-2. LHS pounded out 13 hits facing three Pirates pitchers. Starter Mason Fuqua allowed 10 runs on 12 hits, 5 earned, before giving way to relievers Blake Owens and Josh Olinger both freshmen. If you’re looking for any dark cloud on the day, it would be probably 10 runners left on base. Next for the Mustangs will be a rematch with Trinity Christian, a team Loretto beat to open the tournament 5-3. Game time is 2pm Thursday at Middle Tennessee Christian School.
On the other side of the bracket Columbia Academy is set to play Greenback also at 2pm Thursday at Riverdale High School. The Dawgs beat Union City 6-2 Wednesday off a 2 runs on 2 hit performance by starter hurler sophomore Jacob Perry, who pitched 5 & 1/3 innings. Senior Jay Morgan closed out the game retiring the four batter he faced. Greenback a 16-0 victim of Union City in game one beat UC in their 2nd meeting 3-2 to advance to the semi-final.
In Class-AA, the Forrest Rockets live to fight another day. FHS defeated Smith County 13-1 in the losers bracket elimination game Wednesday night. Forrest scattered 17 hits in the blowout, while just leaving 5 on base. Something they had no success with in the earlier game with Greeneville having stranded 9 in the 10-8 slug-fest loss. In the latter game the Rockets had three players who were perfect at the plate. Ethan Mealer went 4 for 4 with 4 RBI and scored 3 times. Grayson Whaley was 3 for 3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI. Drew Daughrity was 3 for 3 and 1 RBI. The Rockets’ bats got hot fast. In the first they score 6 off 5 hits and led early 6-0 and never really was threatened.
In the earlier game on Wednesday the Rockets committed 4 crucial errors, and got beat on several long balls that went over the outfielders and results in runs for the Devils. Game two was a different story. The first game Thursday is 2pm with a “if” necessary contest at 4:30.
In Class-3A, upper bracket, Collierville (1-1) will face Rossview (2-0) at 2pm. Collierville defeated Siegel 3-2 and Rossview downed Collierville earlier in the day 8-1. The Dragons are unbeaten. Being played at Siegel HS.
Lower bracket action will feature a game between Seymour (2-0) and Brentwood (1-1). The Bruins with a 3-2 loss to theEagles. These games are at Oakland HS.